Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

Turkey Largely Ignores Constitutional Court Ruling Regarding Academics’ Right to Free Speech

December 15, 2020
Mr. Abdulhamit Gül
Minister of Justice
Adalet Bakanlığı
06659 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 419 33 70
Email: ozelkalem@adalet.gov.tr

Dear Minister Gül:

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

We are writing to express our serious concern over the ongoing aftermath of the “Peace Petition” put forth by the Academics for Peace (AfP) almost five years ago, as detailed by the recent report by the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) entitled “Academics for Peace: Report on the Current Situation” published in August 2020. Despite the Constitutional Court of Turkey ruling more than a year ago that the signers were within their rights to freedom of expression when they signed it, these academics as well as many other academics across Turkey have remained dismissed from their universities, in legal limbo, and/or have arbitrary restrictions on their passports.

There are still a number of cases which are pending before first instance courts. These academics suffer from tremendous health problems, not to mention losses in their professional careers, resulting from their traumatic experiences dealing with the actions of the SoE Inquiry Commission. While the Constitution of Turkey only allows for the restriction of citizens’ right to travel abroad based on a RULING by a judge, many applications for passports have been arbitrarily delayed or rejected.

We urge you to take all steps necessary to ensure that academic freedom, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression are thoroughly protected in Turkey’s colleges and universities.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter, and we look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely,


Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists, Inc.

Cc:
Ambassador Serdar Kiliç
Embassy of the Republic of Turkey
2525 Massachusetts Avenue. NW
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: 1-202-612-6700 OR 202-612-6701
Fax: 1-202-612 -6744

Ziya Selçuk
Minister of National Education (Mili Egitim Bakanligi Ozel Kalem)
Mudurlugu Ataturk Bulvari N°98, D-Blok, 2. Kat 06648 Bakanlıklar,
Ankara, Turkey
Phone: +90 312 419 14 10

Yekta Saraç
Council of Higher Education (Yükseköğretim Kurulum)
Üniversiteler Mh., 1600. Cad. No:10, 06800 Çankaya
Ankara, Turkey
Phone: +90 312 298-7000
Fax: +90 312 266-4759

The Honorable Mike Pompeo
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Paul H. Plotz, M.D., Washington, DC

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Astronomy – Arno Penzias, New Enterprises Associates*

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Medical Sciences – J. Joseph Blum, Duke University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deceased), Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser, Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy, University of Pittsburg

David Gross, (2004 Nobel Prize in Physics), Kavil Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara*

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Louis Nirenberg, New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Honorary Board Members

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, (1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology & Medicine), New England Biolabs*

Myriam Sarachick, City College of New York

Harold Scheraga, Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Steven Weinberg, University of Texas, Austin*

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Committee of Concerned Scientists

c/o Alexandra R. Bender, Executive Director
P.O. Box 4525
Easton, PA 18043
Phone: (570) 994-2093
abender@concernedscientists.org